A Dog Cafe in the U.S. Might Soon Be a Thing

| January 21, 2015

In 2015, we'll be taking our coffee with some milk, sugar—and a side of canine cuddles and kisses.

Los Angeles resident Sarah Wolfgang is working to create America’s first-ever dog café—that is, a place where people can drink coffee while mingling with resident rescue dogs looking for their forever homes. (East Coasters need not feel left out—the Gothamist reported that a similar establishment in is the works in New York City as well.)

Wolfgang got the idea from Korea, where she spent the past 16 years. She plans for the café to be able to house about 8 to 9 dogs that will come from rescue organizations. The dogs will be separated based on age and personality, and will be monitored by employees specialized in dog body language and behavior.

Similar facilities of the feline variety—Cat Cafes—have opened around the United States to much popularity but no one has yet attempted to do it with dogs. Wolfgang is hoping to raise the $200,000 needed to launch the cafe through Indiegogo (click here to donate), an online fundraising site.

According to Wolfgang, patrons will be able to order beverages and go into a separate area to sit with the dogs (separating the service area and the dog area is a requirement of the Department of Health). “It's kind of like taking your Starbucks drink into a kennel,” she says.

The idea is that the rescue dogs get socialization while potential new owners get to know the personality of the dogs. “We want to provide you with the opportunity to see these pooches in their true light,” the website says. For those visitors not currently looking to acquire a new dog, “you can still enjoy all of the sloppy kisses you've ever wanted.”

Certain restrictions will apply for safety reasons—for instance, no children under the age of 8 will be permitted, and all other children must be accompanied by an adult.

Oh, and lest we forget about the second most important part of the business: The coffee will be provided by Ground and Hounds, a Fair Trade organic coffee company that donates 20% of its profits to rescue organizations.